It discusses how sophisticated face-recognising technology could
be used to scan new photos, and then — depending on who it
detects — it could either refuse to allow the image to be shared
without permission, or even automatically edit the image to
protect the subject's privacy.

It's a novel use for facial recognition tech, which is a frequent
subject of concern for activists due to its potential to invade
people's privacy and facilitate surveillance. Snapchat's patent
paints an alternative possibility: The tech could actually be
used to enhance people's privacy.

A Snapchat spokesperson declined to comment.

You can read the full patent below.

Using emojis to defend people's privacy?

United States Patent number 9,396,354 was first filed with the
USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) on May 27,
2015. It has two inventors listed: Evan Spiegel, cofounder and
CEO of Snapchat; and Robert Murphy (better known as Bobby),
cofounder and CTO.

The language used in the patent filing is dense and technical, as
patents often are — but it details an interesting concept. For
example (emphasis ours):

"A method executed by a computer, comprising: receiving an image
from a client device; executing a facial recognition
technique against an individual face within the image to obtain a
recognized face; applying privacy rules to the image,
wherein the privacy rules are associated with privacy settings
for a user associated with the recognized face; and
distributing a privacy protected version of the image,
wherein the privacy protected version of the image has an altered
image feature, wherein the privacy protected version of
the image is distributed to an ephemeral gallery ... [and so on]"

In plain English?

Snapchat could build a facial recognition database of
its users, and these users would be able to save certain
privacy settings about how they want to let photos of them be
shared.

Then, when a photo of a user is taken, the feature
would scan it to see which Snapchat users it can detect.

If a detected user has certain privacy settings enabled, then
the feature will limit how the photo can be shared. It might only
be able to be sent to other users who are in the subject's
"social network." Or the subject might get sent a message with
the image in, asking for their permission so it can be shared.

Or, if the photo-taker does not have permission to share a
photo of someone, the feature will automatically modify the image
before it is sent — blurring out the subject's face, or replacing
it with an emoji, or an icon, or "a brand." (Another option is to
block the sharing of privacy-protected images altogether.)

It protects user privacy — but only in certain ways.

A
Snapchat lens that uses object recognition technology to overlay
a filter on the subject's face.BI

At this point, it's important to note that just because Snapchat
has filed a patent doesn't mean that the feature will necessarily
make it into the official app. Big tech companies file thousands
of patents a year, many of which never see the light of day.

But the patent filing is interesting for a number of
reasons.

For a start, it suggests that Snapchat is actively exploring
facial recognition technology.

The app is already notable for its filters (called "lenses") that
map users' faces and overlay images and animations on top of them
— but these use "object recognition" rather than facial
recognition tech.

"[It's] an algorithm designed to understand the general nature of
things that appear in an image. It lets us know that a nose is a
nose or an eye is an eye," Snapchat
says on its Privacy Centre website. "But object recognition
isn’t the same as facial recognition. While Lenses can recognize
faces in general, they can't recognize a specific face."

The patent shows that while Snapchat is currently only
making use of object recognition tech, it is at the very least
thinking about the possibilities of facial recognition tech too —
and may well be actively developing it.

It's also an unconventional approach to protecting privacy, and
one that arguably has its downsides.

Yes, it protects you from unauthorised photography through the
app. But, in the process, it gives Snapchat a detailed facial
recognition database on its users.

Evan Spiegel, CEO of
Snapchat, and one of the inventors listed on the patent
filing.Michael Kovac/Getty Images
for Vanity Fair

That said, if you can recognise exactly who is any given
photo, you can theoretically target ads far more precisely.

The patent discusses the possibility of monetising the
feature: "Facial recognition operation may [also] be used to
add content, such as a sticker, text or an advertisement, which
do not necessarily protect privacy or hide identity, but do
provide an enhanced image," it reads.

However, it's not explained how these advertisements would work.
We don't know whether they would simply augmented a user's face,
like existing filters — or if they would actively target
ads towards the specific users in photos. The latter would
be unexpected, given Spiegel's aversion to "creepy" ads.